Packing machine



Oct. 13, 1970 Filed Jan. 2, 1969 A. H. LLOYD PACKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR IILLEN H,L1.ovo

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PACKI NG MACH INE Filed Jan. 2, 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVFNTOR fluelv H. LLOYD ttorpey Och 1010 A. H. LLOYD 3,533,213

PACKING MACHINE File n- 2, 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR IILLEN H LLO m 71 nor! 6] Oct. 13, 1970 A. H. LLOYD 3,533,213

PACKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1969 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 ma ma/Sbl INVENTOR FLLE/v H. LLO Y0 Rteorqey Oct. 13, 1910 Filed Jan. 2, 1969 A. H. LLOYD PACKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 J an;

g) -4 HP INVENToR HLLEN H. LLO ya crorqey Oct. 13, 1970 Filed Jan. 2, 1969 A. H. LLOYD PACKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 a? as? 37/: 369 i 36 I; x 1 370 72 3% 373 217 A 1 374 I I D 3b L MA T 5 w? I 34,5 357 358- r I 5/ I/VVE/VTQR s H Br United States Patent w 3,533,213 PACKING MACHINE Allen H. Lloyd, Terrace Park, Ohio, assignor to Tech- Art, Inc., Milford, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 2, 1969, Ser. No. 788,443 Int. Cl. B65b 57/20 US. Cl. 53-78 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The packing machine of the present invention is employed for arranging and stacking relatively fiat articles, such as folded cartons and counting the same, so that subsequent stacks of exactly the same number thereof, for example, 250 items per stack, and then disposing of the stack into a shipping and/or storage container, such as, corrugated boxes. The present machine is adapted to stack, count and automatically pack articles of diiferent areas, that is, for example, knocked-down cartons which when erected would have a capacity for a half-gallon of liquid, a quart of liquid, or a pint of liquid.

Upon the inserting of a stack of the articles into the storage and/ or shipping container, the same is automatically discharged from the machine and an empty such storage and/or shipping container automatically positioned for the next stack.

This invention relates to improvements in packing machines, that is, in machines for packing fiat articles; the machine of the present invention being particularly designed for the packing of folded, printed cartons into a storage or shipping container.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a machine which upon receiving flat articles, such as folded printed cartons, from the printing and/or sealing machine in a continuous, but not necessarily uniform, stream of cartons, positively positions them with respect to one another in a stack and which stack upon reaching a desired height is automatically pushed into a container, positioned for receiving same, for subsequent storage and/ or shipment.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a machine which in addition to the function as set forth in the preceding object, simultaneously counts the said articles while being stacked preparatory to insertion into a storage and/or shipping container.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a machine wherein the stream of articles to be inserted in the aforementioned storage and/or shipping container, and which articles may or may not be counted, has the stream of said articles arranged in a relatively fixed relation to one another prior to being counted and/ or stacked preparatory to insertion within the said storage, packing and/or shipping container.

A still further and important object of the present invention is the provision of means in the machine of the present invention whereby the effective dimensions of the operating and control portions of the machine may be adjusted to accommodate fiat articles, specifically, folded cartons, of different dimensions and whereby the said cartons are maintained in operative relation to one another and the various portions of the machine so that, regardless of the size of the cartons being worked all of the said cartons are properly stacked with respect to the shipping and/ or storing container.

It is also an object of the present invention to interconnect various units of the machine that the same will function in rhythmic sequence to have the articles being packed always at points wherein interference is afforded.

3,533,213 Patented Oct. 13, 1970 Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings;

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the mechanism or machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2 and as seen, particularly, from the right hand end thereof.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view through the left hand or receiving end of the machine as seen from line 4- on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view through the portion of the machine which counts the articles as they pass therethrough and at the same time position the articles for subsequent delivery into a hopper, as seen from line 55 on FIG. 2.

FIG. -6 is an enlarged, sectional view through the discharge and elevator or table end of the machine as seen inwardly of the right hand end thereof in FIG. 2, on line 6-6 on said FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the drive mechanism for the machine as seen from line 7-7 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a horizontal, sectional view through the discharge and packing end of the machine as seen from line 8-8 on FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a wiring diagram of the several motors used in the operation of the machine.

FIG. 10 is a wiring diagram of the machine and particularly the various control mechanisms wherefore the machine will operate substantially, automatically in counting, stacking and discharging the artices being packed.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit which operates the electric brake and clutch mechanism for effecting smooth and instant control of the machine.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of several cartons as used in the food industry and which cartons are counted, stacked and inserted in the storage and/or shipping container.

FIG. 12a, strictly for comparison purposes, and in no wise a limiting factor, a folded carton which when opened and has the ends folded in a closing position has a capacity of approximately one gallon;

FIG. 12b is one form. of a foldable carton for holding baked goods and has a capacity between those of FIGS. 12a and 12s; and

FIG. 12c disclosing a carton for the same purpose as FIG. 12a but which carton 12c, again merely for comparison purposes, has a capacity of one-half gallon or one quart.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic mechanism and illustrating the control thereof from the main control circuit.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As shown in FIG. 1, most particularly, the machine may be said to have a receiving and sorting section indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 20, a section arranging the cartons for proper presentation to a counting mechanism and which section is indicated in general by the reference numeral 21, the highest point on the machine is the section that counts the cartons as they pass thereby to the stacking mechanism and which counting section is indicated in general by the reference numeral 22, and finally the machine has a stacking and discharging section which receives the cartons after being counted for properly stacking the same and positioning the stack for disposal in a shipping or storage container and which last section is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 23.

The receiving and sorting section is illustrated on a somewhat enlarged scale in FIG. 4, and which includes a portion of the machine front side, upper frame rail 24 held in a position above and parallel with the floor by depending frame members or legs 25. The section 20 has mounted on the said rail 24 at its longitudinal outer end a transmission belt pulley or drum 26 around which extends an endless conveyor belt 27 which, in turn, extends over a belt pulley or drum 28 and then around belt pulley or drum 29 of substantially similar diameter, a diameter larger than the diameter of the pulley 26, and wherefore the belt 27 is provided with a relatively short horizontal portion 30 between the supporting pulleys 28 and 29.

Each of the said belt pulleys or drums 26, 28 and 29 has a shaft that is journaled in bearings or bearing blocks respectively supported by the aforementioned forward, upward, horizontal rail 24 and its laterally offset or opposite rear horizontal rail 31.

Further mounted in bearings on the said horizontal rails 24 and 31 are a second pair of belt pulleys or drums 32 and 33 about which extends an endless conveyor belt 34 which has its upper flight substantially in a plane horizontal to the floor and to a normal longitudinal axis through the machine.

The belt 27 may be designated as a receiving belt and receives the articles to be counted and packed on the upper surface of its upper flight and carries them to the right as seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. These articles, while generally reasonably accurately positioned with respect to a longitudinal center or axis through the stream, do not have these articles, folded and gluedcartons, in any particular relation to one another in a vertical direction, that is, the said cartons may be tandem to one another, they may be overlapped but with their leading edges anywhere from directly above one another to the tandem position just expressed, or the said cartons may be stacked several deep with, again, their leading edges either in alignment or irregularly spaced with respect to the corresponding edge of the cartons of the stream above and below any one thereof.

The receiving section 20 of the machine in addition must be designated as a discriminating mechanism and includes a pair of longitudinally extending forward and rearward bars 35 and 36 respectively carried by the front and rear path defining plates 37 and 38. The said plates or members 37 and 38 support a plurality of arms 39 and 40 which are held in place and adjustable around connected end pivot bars 41 at their outer end and which arms may be termed discriminators, since the inner end of the discriminator arms 39 overlies the horizontal portion 30 of the transmission belt 27 for thereby holding back cartons which are above and on the carton presently on the said belt 27.

The cartons are discharged from the belt 27 onto the discriminator belt 34 and relative to which belt a spring finger or discriminator element 42 lies to insure that the said cartons are flat on the belt 34 as they move therewith. Ahead of, to the right, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, is a brush mechanism including a body portion 43 connected with the other or inner ends of the discriminator bars 40 and which bars act as a parallelgram for the body portion or brush frame 43. The brush frame 43 has the brush bristles 44 projecting downwardly thereof to the belt 34 and is the final member to insure but a single carton passing over and beyond the said belt 34 at any given instance.

Obviously, cartons or other flat articles will be made from different gauge materials wherefore certain folded and sealed or glued cartons will have m re thi kn ss than others and for this reason the more or less fixed discriminator arms 39 and 40 are adjustable, the former through an adjusting screw 45 while the latter is through an adjusting screw 46 each of which screws operates through a supporting angle iron, respectively, 47 and 48 carried by the arms 35 and 36 thereabove. The said discriminating arm 39 and the discriminating arms 40 with their brush 44 are therefore adjustable with respect to the belt surfaces with which they work, so as not to unduly restrict flow beneath them but will prevent too thick an article, group of articles, to pass thereunder. As intimated above, disposed on each side of the belts 27 and 34 are path defining plates or side panels 35 and 36 and which plates or panels are spaced from one another with respect to the belts 27 and 34 that a trough of the desired width of carton being packed and which spaced side plates or panels 35 and 36 maintain the carton stream with each carton in axial alignment with the other. These side plates or panels have their forward ends outwardly flared at respectively 49 and 50 for thereby providing an entrant mouth or throat and the said side panels are adjustaed toward and from one another for varying sizes of widths of folded cartons.

As illustrated in the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, each side plate or panel 35 and 36 has connected therewith an inner swiveling end of an adjusting screw 51, 52, 53 and 54 which are suitably mounted for axial adjustment in a nut and bearing support 55. Each of the adjusting screws 51 through 54 has an end laterally projecting beyond the side plates or panels 35 and 36 with the corresponding ends of the adjusting screws 51 and 52, respectively, having keyed or otherwise secured thereto a chain sprocket or gear 56 and 57 and trained about said sprockets or gears 56 and 57 is a sprocket chain 58. The adjusting screws 53 and 54 likewise have connected with their outer or free ends chain sprockets or gears 59 and 60 and about which is trained a sprocket chain 61. Either of the adjusting screws on each side of the receiving station, or respectively outwardly of each side plate or panel 35 and 36, is provided with a manually operable handle 62 and 63. Specifically, adjusting screw 52 has secured thereto the handle 62 while the adjusting screw 54 has secured thereto the handle 63. Depending on the hand of the adjusting screws depends Whether the side panels upon the actuation of the handles 62 and 63 are adjusted inwardly or outwardly with respect to one another. In any event the adjustment of one corner of either side plate or panel adjusts both corners and therefore the entire length of the side panel is equally adjusted and in the same direction.

The belt 34 between the belt pulleys or drums 32 and 33 has its upper flight on a supporting table 64 and which table is mounted in operative position through attaching brackets 65 and 66 on opposite sides of the belt 34 for securing the same in position, respectively, on the top frame rails 31 and 32.

Each of the belts 27 and 34 is driven in the same direction, that is, with their upper flights running from left to right as seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. In order to effect the operation of the said belts use is made of a motor 67 carried by the lower longitudinal frame members 68 and 69. As seen in said views the motor 67, is, in reality, mounted on a plate 70 which is welded or otherwise secured at its opposite ends to said longitudinal members 68 and 69.

The motor shaft 71 from said motor 67 has thereon a pulley 72 around which is mounted a belt 73 which, in turn, extends around a driven belt pulley 74. The said pulleys 72 and 74 are of the adjustable variety for thereby varying the speed of the pulley 74 with respect to the speed of the motor shaft 71.

The pulley 74 is secured to a driven shaft 75 Which, in effect, constitutes the countershaft of a driving chain since it is from this shaft that the various gear trains are taken for effecting the operation of the machine as will be presently described in detail. The said driven or counter-shaft extends through an electric clutch and brake mechanism 76, which, it is believed, is a wellknown device and needs no further structural disclosure or description, the said combined clutch and brake is illustrated in a portion of the electric diagram which will be described in detail subsequently. The said countershaft 75 has on one end thereof, its left hand end as seen in FIGS. 1 and 7, a worm 77 meshing with a worm wheel 78 in a gear box 79 carried by a plate or plates 80 which extend parallel to the motor plate 70 and are in turn secured by welding or otherwise to the machine frame longitudinal members 68 and 69. Obviously, the worm 78 has an r.p.m. and therefore its output shaft 81 has an r.p.m. less than the countershaft 75. The said worm wheel shaft 81 projects from both sides of the gear box 79 with the one end thereof having thereon a pulley 82 around which is trained a belt 83 and which belt 83, in turn, is trained around a second pulley 84 secured to a shaft 85 in a bearing block 86 mounted on a suitable support of the machine frame or mounted directly to the gear box housing 79. The said pulleys 82 and 84 are made of members of the variable effective diameter pulleys and wherefore the r.p.m. of the shaft 85 is variable with respect to the r.p.m. of the worm wheel shaft 81.

The shaft 85 is mounted for rotation in a bearing block 86 and has secured to its other, outer, end a sprocket 89 for a sprocket or roller chain 90. The sprocket or roller chain 90 extends around various sprocket members to an ultimate final sprocket shaft 91,

see FIG. 1 and from which the sprocket chain returns to the sprocket 89 on shaft 85.

The sprocket shaft 91 not only has thereon the sprocket 92 for the sprocket chain 90 but also has thereon a second sprocket around which extends a sprocket chain 93, and which sprocket chain extends about a sprocket 94 on one end of the shaft of the belt pulley or drum 29.

From this it will be understood that the conveyor belt 27 is driven at a speed which is variable depending upon the size of the folded carton being placed in the storage and shipping container and the speed at which the cartons are being received by the said conveyor belt 27.

Again referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, the shaft from the gear box or worm wheel shaft 77 has its other end outwardly of the gear box 75 to have secured thereto a sprocket 95 about which is trained a sprocket or roller chain 96 and which sprocket or roller chain in turn extends about a sprocket 97 on the belt pulley or drum 33 and around which drum extends the endless conveyor belt 34.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the folded cartons on being received from an outside source which may be a printing machine, a sealing machine, or the like, are discriminated to the extent of the stacked and/ or laterally displaced cartons eventually leaving the said conveyor belt 34 in a single file and in succession with the leading edges of the cartons being similarly spaced from one another throughout the line to substantially the end thereof from the discharge point to the discriminating mechanism. It should be noted that the conveyor belt 27 is rotated at a somewhat slower speed than the conveyor belt 34 so that the folded cartons, or other items, upon reachin g the end of the conveyor belt 27 are rapidly shifted away from succeeding cartons to insure no interference with the movement of the cartons from the conveyor belt 27.

The said folded cartons now enter the counting section 21, of the machine, and this section, since it stands the cartons substantially on end while counting the same, comprises an operative section including conveyor belts above and below the carton. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the latter, particularly, use is made of a conveyor belt 98 extending around a belt pulley or drum 99 which is carried by the upper longitudinal frame members 23 and 24. The upper reach of the conveyor belt 98, in turn, ex-

tends around a belt pulley or drum 100 which is carried by uprights 101 of the machine frame. The lower reach of the belt 98, in succession, passes over belt pulleys or drums 102, 103 and 104. The belt pulley or drums 102 and 104 are each mounted on a separate shaft which, in turn, are rotatably mounted in bearings supplied by the upright 101 and the horizontal frame member 23. The belt pulley or drum 103-, intermediate the belt pulleys or drums 102 and 104, is rotatably mounted in the outer end of a lever or arm 105 which lever or arm. has its other end pivotally mounted at 106 to the horizontal frame member 23. The arm 105, and particularly the end supporting the pulley or drum 102 has connected therewith one end 107 of a tension spring 108. Said. tension spring 108, in turn, has its free end secured to the lower end of a stationary bracket member 109 secured to and depending from the machine horizontal member 23.

The upper reach of the belt 98, between its main supporting pulleys or drums 99 and 100 extends or, moves in a plane very close to 45. In substantial alignment and shifting the cartons from the horizontal receiving position to a position relatively vertical, beyond the belt 98 is a second belt 110 which extends about belt pulleys or drums 111 and 112 each having its shaft, respectively, rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the opposed vertical upright 101 and opposed plate 113 secured to and upstanding from the horizontal frame member 114 of the counting section 21. In order to maintain proper tension in the upper or operating reach of the belt 110 the lower reach of said belt is contacted by a belt pulley or drum 115 and thereby maintains tension in said transferring or upper reach of the belt 110.

Cooperating with portions of each of said belts 98 and 110, and completing the transportation system, is a belt 116 extending about a pulley or drum 117 rotatably mounted in opposing supporting plates 118., Said plates 118 being located, respectively, at opposite sides of a guide-way through which the articles being packed must pass fortransportation to the counting mechanism. Said belt 116 is further extended about a belt pulley or drum 119 journaled in upright 101 and horizontal frame member 114. The said belt 116 is held in operative position and tensioned by idler pulleys 120, 12.1 and 122 whose shafts are journaled at opposite ends in a plate 118. A further tensioning and positioning pulley 123 is provided, it being journaled on a shaft which in turn is carried by or journaled in one end of an arm 124 and through which the said pulley 123 is maintained, by gravity, in an outward and downward position and holds the said belt 116 at that point against the belt 110 and the belt pulley or drum 111, all for a purpose to be presently set forth. The said arm 124 is pivoted at 125 on a shaft carried by the plates 118. Also mounted on the shaft 125 is an arm 126' having rotatably mounted at its upper end a roller 127 which is positioned to lie on the belt 110 as it passes over the belt or pulley 112 and which construction is for a purpose to be presently made clear.

The belt 116 and the various pulleys just described are particularly concerned with maintaining, what may be termed the lower flight of the said belt 116 and holding said belt lower flight against the upper flights of the belts 98 and 110 in insuring the movement of the cartons between the said belts. In order to take up slack in the said transmission belt 116 use is made of a pulley roller 128 at the outer end of a pivotally mounted arm 129 and which roller 128 rides on the outer or upper flight of the transmission belt 116 for, as noted above, thereby keeping slackness or play out of the said belt 116 when in operation.

It should be noted that the belt 110 has its outer flight 130 very near a vertical position so that the cartons or articles being counted leave the transferring station in a substantially vertical position. It should also be noted that the distance between the belt pulleys or drums, 100 and 111, and their respective belts 98 and 110, while separated, this separation is not as great as the length of the folded cartons being transferred thereby, wherefore, the carton will be above the belt drum 111 before it leaves the belt drum 100.

The belt feeds the cartons in succession against a curved deflector plate 131 for transfer to a final transmission belt 132. The deflector plate 131 is secured at 133 to a finger and holding mechanism 134 carried by the aforementioned opposed plates 113 in which is journaled the shaft of the drum 112 of the transmission belt 110. The deflector plate 131 has its are varied by an adjusting screw 135 which brought a rounded foot 136, on the end of the screw 135, is adjustable through an angle iron 137 forming a support for the adjusting screw and which angle iron 137 is mounted in place by opposed uprights 138 respectively from the opposed horizontal frame members 114.

Carried by the opposed plate 113 is a bracket 139 having its inner end 150 at an angle to the main portion of the bracket and through which angled end portion 140 a post 1411 is adapted to be transversely and rotatably ad- 'justed relative to the bracket 139 as will presently be made clear.

The post 141 may take any desired form and is provided downwardly of its upper end with a source of light 142 while, likewise, upwardly of the lower end of the said post 141 it is provided with an electric eye 143. Whether the eye is near the lower end or the upper end of the post 141, and the light source at the opposite end is of no particular importance since the beam from the light to the eye is interrupted each time a carton, or other article being counted and stacked, passes beneath the deflector plate 131.

By reference to FIGS. 1 and 7 it will be noted that the conveyor belt 98 is driven by a sprocket chain 144 which passes over a sprocket 145 on the shaft 81 and outwardly of the sprocket 95 on the said shaft. The sprocket chain 144 passes over a chain sprocket 146 on the outer end of the shaft of the belt pulley or drum 100; the sprocket chain 144 in turn passes over idler sprocket 147 before returning to the driving sprocket 145. It will be noted that this mechanism effects the rotation and operation of the power driven transmission belt 9 8.

The transfer belt 110 is similarly driven by having at one end of its belt pulley or drum shaft a sprocket wheel 148 around which extends a sprocket chain 149 in turn passing around a chain sprocket 150 on the shaft of the transmission belt pulley or drum 111.

Mounted on the uppermost longitudinal supporting member 114 is a bearing block 151 in which is mounted a shaft 152 having at one end thereof a sprocket wheel or gear around which sprocket chain 153 extends and also extending around a similar sprocket wheel or gear 154 on the idler sprocket gear shaft 155. The shaft 152 has associated therewith a cam 156 which cooperates with articles being counted for shifting a bar 157 which is to be regarded as a patter, patting the back edges of the cartons as they are being discharged into the stacker mechanism 23. The said patter bar 157 pushes the cartons against a rear partition member 158 for maintaining the cartons in a vertical stack on an elevator table, as will presently be made clear.

The counting section of the mechanism, section number 22-, similarly to the receiving section 20, has a path or trough therethrough between opposed side members 159 and 160 and which are movable toward and from one another, the said parts similar to the receiving trough or passageway boards 43 and 44 are illustrated, substantially, in their innermost positions. In order that the said side boards 159 and 160 be movable they are provided near opposite ends thereof with adjusting screws, those for side board 159 being indicated by the reference numerals 161 and 162 while the adjusting screws for the side board 160 are identified by the reference numerals 163 and 164. These screws are rotatably and threadedly mounted in upright supports 165 from the uppermost longitudinal frame members 114. Each screw is connected with its board by a swivel 166 and the adjusting screw 161 and 162 are connected to one another through a sprocket chain 167 extending around suitable sprockets on the outer ends of said screws 1 61 and 162. The opposed adjusting screws 16 3 and 169 are likewise connected with one another by a sprocket chain 168. One or the other of screws 161 and 162 and one of the screws 163 and 164 has secured thereto a manually operable crank 169 and through which the said connected pairs of adjusting screws are simultaneously rotated in opposite directions and wherefore the said side boards are maintained in parallelism throughout the range of their adjustment.

As was noted above, the discharge belt 132 in discharging the folded cartons extends around a belt pulley or drum 170 and also extends around a pulley or drum 171 with its upper flight 172 on a table 173. The driving of the discharge belt 132 is such that the cartons as placed thereon are discharged over the belt pulley or drum 171 into the stacker mechanism 23.

The stacker mechanism is an elevator including a platform of sufiicient solidity to receive and hold the cartons as they are being discharged thereonto and the said platform or table is moving downwardly at normal rate of receiving the cartons from the counter mechanism. The said table as illustrated in the drawings consists of. a plurality, three as shown in the drawings, of members 174 shown in elevation in FIGS. 6 and 8 and maintained in parallelism by a pair of supporting shafts or bars 175 and 176. The said table is vertically movable in a downward direction at a relatively slow speed and in a rapid speed upwardly and the movement of this elevator is effected through a piston and cylinder mechanism 177, see FIG. 5, under control of a hydrauic valve mechanism as will presently be made clear.

The said table 174 is movable in a vertical direction similar to an elevator and is suitably guided. As shown in FIG. 8 the table members 174 have at the ends of their supporting bars 175 and 176 means, in effect, guide shoes at their ends for maintaining the elevator members horizontal driving movement. The said guide shoes at each end of each bar 175 and 176 consists of a plate 177 having projecting from the outer face thereof a guide roller 178. The guide rollers 178 at the opposite ends of the shaft or bar 176 are disposed in a channel 179 between vertical channel forming bars 180 and 181. It should be noted that the roller 178 of the guide shoe 177 engages the inner face of the guide way forming bar 180 while the said guide shoe roller 178 at the other end of the bar 176 engages the inner face of the guide way forming member 181. Similarly the guide shoes 177 at the opposite ends of the bar 175 are disposed in guide ways formed vertically of the elevator shaft by guide forming bars 182 and 183 and with the guide shoe 177 having its contacting roller in engagement with the inner face of the guide way forming bar 182. The guide bearing 178 at the other end of the bar or rod 175 is likewise provided with a guiding roller and engages the inner surface of the guide bar 183. It will be appreciated that with this construction the table forming members 174 are maintained in horizontal position during movement.

Upon delivery of the desired number of folded cartons to the table 174 it reaches substantially the point therein shown in FIG. 6 by the dot and dash line of said table forming members. Just below this position there is pro vided a storage and/or shipping container support and discharge mechanism indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 184 and which mechanism includes a bracket in the form of an angle bar 185 having thereon a block 186. The angle bar 185 on one of its legs 187 has secured thereto a bar 188 to act 'as a pivot and which bar is rotatably journaled in frame uprights 189 and 190.

Secured to the other leg 191 of the angle iron is, as

9 above noted, the block 186 and which block is pivotally connected at 192 to the clevis 193 of a piston rod 194. The piston rod 194 including a piston, not shown, operatively associated with a cylinder 195 pivotally mounted to a bracket 196 substantially centrally of the elevator shaft.

Secured to the said leg 191 of the angle bar or bracket 185 on the outer surface thereof is a member 197 which normally depends in front of the elevator shaft from the pivot bar 180 to a point downwardly but short of the floor. The plate 197 has extending from its one end an arm-like member 198 from which projects bars 199 and 200 with said bars projecting substantially laterally of the elevator cage.

The entire mechanism indicated by the reference numeral 184 is, as above indicated, a support for a storage or shipping container, illustrated in dot and dash lines and identified in its entirety by the reference numeral 201. When the mechanism 184 is supporting the said storage or shipping container for receiving the stack of cartons on the table when in the dot and dash line position has its one end wall 202 on the plate member 197 and the arm 198 and outwardly projecting bars 199 and 200 are positioned against the bottom 203 of the said shipping container. This shipping container has its end flaps positioned as shown in FIG. 6. The upper end flap 204 is laid back on the end wall 205 of the storage or shipping container while the lower end wall 206 is positioned at a downwardly and inwardly extending angle, all as illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The side walls 207 have their iiaps projecting into the elevator shaft as illustrated in dot and dash or phantom lines.

The said storage or shipping container mechanism 184 is operated from the solid line position to the dot and dash line position thereof, in FIG. 6, by a hydraulic medium to opposite ends of the cylinder 195 at a point in the cycle of operation of the mechanism as well subsequently be made clear.

With the storage or shipping container in the operative positioned illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 6 and with the elevator members in the phantom lines position, again as in FIG. 6, the pusher or discharge mechanism, indicated in general by the reference numeral 208 in the drawings, is brought into play for shifting the stack of cartons from the table members into the container.

The pusher means 209 which are bars of steel spaced from one another to be located between the table members as clearly illustrated in FIG. 1. The pusher members or bars 209 are connected in proper relation by transverse members 210 from which project connecting rods 211 into an operating plate 212. The operating plate 212 has rearwardly projecting therefrom at its upper end a pair of bars 213 located, respectively, at the opposite ends of the plate 212. Depending from each of said bars 213 is a pair of legs 214 and 215 with said legs each pivoted at 216 to the projecting bar 213 and said legs 214 further being pivoted at 217 to a bottom member 218 of the machine. The vertical members or legs 214 and 215 are pivoted at each end so that said members or legs will extend in parallelism with one another along with the members to which said legs are pivoted constituting a parallelogram and whereby movement of the said legs 214 and 215' push in a horizontal plane the pushing members 209. In order to effect the movement of the legs 214 and 215 the leg 214 has pivoted to its at 219 a piston rod 220 outwardly projecting from a cylinder 221. The cylinder 221 is pivotally mounted at 222 to an upright 223 from the bars or bottom 218 of the machine.

It should be here noted, as will later be made clear, the elevator table members descend as the folded cartons are deposited thereon and which elevator members continuously downwardly move until the proper number or height of cartons are on the table and whereupon the pusher mechanism 208 is automatically inwardly shifted to push the stack into the shipping container positioned to receive them, all as in FIG. 6. As soon as the stack is in the storage or shipping container 201 the pusher mechanism is retracted and upon its complete retraction the carton discharge mechanism 184 is operated from the phantom line position thereof to the solid line position in FIG. 6. This deposits the storage or shipping container on its base or bottom 203 on a discharge mechanism 224 which discharges the filled shipping container to a point for storage and/ or shipment.

Disposed in the elevator table shaft through a rod 225 is a compressor for the compression of the cartons or other items just before they are pushed into the shipping or storage container. Specifically, the compressor comprises a plurality of arms 226 spaced longitudinally of the said pivoted rod 225. At one end of the rod 225, adjacent either of the uprights 189 and 190, is a link 227 pivoted at its outer end 228 to the piston rod 229 that is associated and projects from a cylinder 230. The cylinder 230 is mounted against independent movement wherefore the outward projection of the piston rod 229, FIG. 6, efiects the rotation of the compressor fingers or arms 226. The operation of the piston 229 relative to the cylinder 230 is effected automatically and in sequence with the pusher mechanism, as will presently be made clear.

The compressor mechanism is adopted to be vertically moved wherefore articles of different thicknesses may be packed and wherein the number of articles in the stack if consistant will result in smaller or lower stacks of an equal number. In order to adjust the said compressing mecha nism use is made of a pair of adjusting screws 231 and 232, one on each side of the table elevator shaft, as seen in FIG. 1. The said screws 231 and 232 are each rotatably mounted at their opposite ends in angle irons 233 and 234 which are respectively secured to the uprights 189 and 190. The said screws 231 and 232 each, respectively, have thereon a nut 235 and 236 and which nuts have secured thereto the compressor pivoting bar 225.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the compressor is adjustable with respect to the elevator table members so as to be in operative position when a shorter stack is being deposited in the shipping or storage container. The above referred to discharge mechanism 224 comprises a pair of fixed endles belt pulleys or drums 238 and 239 on which are conveyor belts 240 and 241 which are spaced from one another'to permit the supporting bar 199 of the transfer mechanism to shift therebetween in placing the bottom 203 of the storage or shipping container on the moving surfaces of the discharge belts 240 and 241. The said drums 238 and 239 are respectively mounted in bearings 242 and 243 with the shaft of the drum 239 upwardly spaced from the shaft of the drum 238 and the said upper shaft is provided on its outer end with a sprocket 244 about which is trained a sprocket chain 245 which in turn extends about a sprocket on the shaft of a motor 246.

In practice the motor 246 is continuously rotating so that a shipping and storage container upon being placed on the discharge belts 242 and 243 is immediately removed from the machine so that a new carton may be placed for the next load of cartons being counted and stacked.

11s was noted above the various operating piston and cylmder mechanisms are operated by a hydraulic medium such as oil as is usual in this type of motion mechanism. The said medium is contained in a tank 247 carried by the lower longitudinal frame members 68 and 69. The tank 247 has mounted on its upper closed surface a motor 248 with its shaft 249 terminating in a pump mechanism 250. The pump mechanism 250 includes a suction pipe or conduit 251 from the interior of the tank 247 and at the same time the pump 250 has an outlet conduit or pipe 252 which extends to valves presently to be identified, for controlling the operation of the said piston and cylinders. The outlet pipe 252 has therein a pressure setting valve 253 which determines and maintains the operating pressure in the hydraulic system.

As was noted above the present machine was particularly designed for use with several different sizes of cartons, that is, folded cartons which after folding are similar to a flat tube since one edge of the carton is glued or otherwise secured to an adjacent edge of the blank. The several cartons, illustrated in the drawings and herewith presented are in no wise limiting in so far as the capacity or operation of the machine is concerned but said cartons are for purposes of illustration only. There is, therefore, illustrated in said FIG. 12 a carton A, a second carton B and a third carton C.

Specifically each of the cartons A, B and C are formed of, to all intents and purposes, four walls respectively identified by the reference numerals 254, 255, 256 and 257 with the panels or sides 256 and 257 having an adjacent edge hingedly connected to one another as at 258 while the remaining edge of panel 256 is similarly hingedly connected to the adjacent edge of panel 255, and said panel 255 has its other edge hingedly connected to the adjacent edge of panel 254 with the adjacent edges of panels 254 and 257 secured to one another through a glue flap 259 which may be integral with either of the panels 254 and 257 and overlap the other panel. As illustrated in the drawings the glue flaps 259 are hingedly connected at 260 with its panel.

For purposes of illustration the carton A is of a size when erected and its end flaps folded in has a capacity, for example, of one-half /2) gallon of ice cream while the carton B when erected and its end flaps properly folded has a capacity of one (1) pound of cookies, and the carton C, in substantially all respects, as far as outline is concerned, is similar to carton A, except, that its capacity is one (1) quart or one-half /2) the capacity of said carton A.

It will be noted in FIG. 12 that each of the cartons have their upper right hand corner in alignment and from which it will be obvious that the length of the folded cartons are each different because of the ultimate capacity thereof. By the same token the flattened panels, 255 and 256, for example, as well as the panels 254 and 257 are in each carton different from one another, again due to the capacity thereof. It is for this reason that the entrant throat side members 35 and 36 are adjustable toward and from one another as is the counting mechanism side members 159 and 160 while to properly position these cartons when in a stack the outermost side of the elevator shaft is movable as a whole toward and from the table forming members as well as toward the inner or fixed side of the said table shaft.

It is to be again noted that the particular formation of the carton sides or panels is not controlling since any size or configuration of carton sides or panels may be formed within the capacity of the machine. It should be, however, noted that in each of cartons A, B and C the upper right hand corner 261 is in each instance formed of the upper edge and right hand edge of the carton panel 254 and it is this corner 261 that is employed in operating the counting mechanism as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 5 which has the photo electric cells 142 and 143 arranged that as each catron corner is removed from the path of the light, between the said electric eye elements so that the mechanism is accurate and actually counts each carton corner as it passes through the counter into the elevating mechanism.

The several functions of the machine hereinbefore set out in the sequence in which they occur are under the control of a plurality of limit switches which limit the amount and extent of operation of the several motion controlling mechanisms. This electrical control mechanism is disclosed most completely in FIG. and will now be described in detail:

Before, however, describing the sequential operation of the mechanism attention is called to FIG. 9 wherein the wiring of the several electric motors is shown. As illustrated in FIG. 9 three phase power lines 262, 263 and 264 are illustrated as coming from a commercial source of current with each line having therein a manually operable switch 265 and which switch either simultaneously opens the lines 262, 263 and 264 or closes the same. Beyond the switch 265 each of the wires includes an overload fuse 266 to prevent damage to the electrical circuit in the event of an overloading of one of the motors. As further illustrated in FIG. 9 each of the lines 262, 263 and 264 is connected with its part of the motors 67, 246 and 24-8.

The current from the said lines 262, 263 and 264 is of the 220-volt capacity while the capacity across any two of these lines would be volts and the outer lines 262 and 264 terminate in the primary coil 265' of a transformer 266 and which includes the secondary coil 267 to provide a control circuit voltage of 110 volts and from which the control lines 268 and 269 extend.

The lines 268 and 269 are the feed lines for the various limit and manually operated switches for controlling and effecting the sequence of operation of the machine.

The line 268 has therein a safety fuse 270 and has strapped therearound an indicator or lamp 271 to indicate the operation of the fuse 270.

It should be noted that the electric mechanism, that is, the control limit and manually operable switches are in part carried by a control cabinet 272 mounted on one side of the machine and certain, duplicates, switches on a control panel 273 and mounted on the other side of the machine. In this way the operation and control of the various motors of the machine is at all times within reach of the operator regardless of on which side of the machine he is located.

The lines or wires between the feed lines or wires 262, 263 and 264 and the electrically operated motor 248 for the hydraulic pressure system have therein normally open solenoid switch contacts 274 and which switches, see FIG. 11, are under control of solenoid and/or, push button switches, as will presently be made clear.

The said solenoid switch contacts 274 are in a wire 275 that extends between the control circuit main current supply Wires 268 and 269. In the said wire 275 are normally closed push button switches 276 and 276' as well as a solenoid switch coil 2 77 and normally closed overload switches 278. It should be here noted that hereinafter the push button switches indicated by a reference numeral having a and by the same reference numeral without a are the same switch and maybe, or are, simultaneously operated and that said switches with a are to be considered as in the control cabinet 272 while the switches with the same reference numeral without the are on the control panel 273.

The said wire 275 with the switches therein is to be considered the control wire for stacking and shutting off the motor 248. This is effected by opening either switch 276 or switch 276' which will deenergize the switch coil 277 and permit the solenoid switches 274 to return to their normally open position.

Below the control circuit transverse wire 275 is a wire 279 having therein normally open, manually closable, switch 280 and which feed wire 279 between the main feed lines 268 and 269 has therein a signal light 281. Again below the wire 279 is a transverse wire 282. which extends between the main feed lines 268 and 269 and has therein a normally open, manually closable, push button switch 280' and further has therein a signal light 283. Each of the transverse wires 279 and 282 are strapped to one another and strapped to the wire 275 by a strap or wire 284, the connection of the wire or strap 284 puts into the circuit for the hydraulic motor control the solenoid 277 and the switches 280 and 280'.

Depending upon whether the operator is on the front or the back side of the machine either of the switch 280 or 280' will be closed and thereby complete a circuit including either of the connecting wires 279 and 282, the cross strap 284 and the portion of the wire 275 out- 13 wardly, to the right, of the strap 284 and therefore the solenoid 277.

The energization of the solenoid 277 closes the solenoid switch contacts 274 in the line 275 and also closes the solenoid switch contacts 274 in the lines between the hydraulic medium circulating motor 248 and the source of current supply. The closing of the solenoid switches contacts 274 upon the energization of solenoid coil 277 maintains them in closed position even though the push button switches 280 and/or 280' drops out of its closed position, to its normal position, after the hydraulic motor has been started.

' The starting of the hydraulic motor 248 brings the hydraulic medium in the pump and circuit conduits or pipes up to the desired working pressure so that upon the operation of the various valves, presently to be indicated, the control thereby is immediately effected.

Assuming, that the machine is now ready for operation the various limit switches and the remaining push button control switches will be in the positions illustrated in FIG. 11 and which switches and their related positions are as follows:

At the bottom of the diagram in FIG. 10 is a wire 285 extending between power lines 268' and 269' which includes a pair of manual push button switches 286 and 287. The push button switch 286 upon being operated to either of its two positions effects the operation of the machine either manually or automatically. For the purpose of this description it is assumed the switch 286 is at its automatic position. With the switch in the automatic position current will bypass push button 287 and energize a solenoid switch coil 288 in the said wire 285.

Extending between the power supply lines 268 and 269 is a transverse wire 289 having therein closed limit switches 290 and 291 and also a pair of normally open solenoid switch contacts 292 and a solenoid coil 293. Extending downwardly from the wire 289 is a strap 294 the end of which is connected with a wire 295 that terminates in the power line 268. The wire 295 has therein normally open limit switch 296 and which is now closed so that the cycle of operation of the machine may be effected or completed. The cooling of the limit switch 296 effects a current flow from power line 268 through line 295, now closed limit switch 296, strap 294, and part of line 28 5 from a point just ahead of the solenoid coil 293 and including said coil 293 to the other power line 269. This flow of electric current closes the normally open solenoid switch contacts 292 for energizing the coil 293 and closes switch 292 for maintaining the coil 293 energized even though the normally open switches drops out to their normally open positions.

Extending transversely between the feed wires 268 and 269 is a wire 297 having therein a normally open push button switch 298 and a solenoid switch coil 299. Between the normally open push button switch 298 and the solenoid switch coil 299 the wire 297 has depending therefrom a strap 300 that terminates in, as will presently be made clear, an extension of the power line 268, in dicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 268'. Said strap 300 has therein a pair of normally closed push button switches 301 and 301'. Extending between the power line 268 and the strap 300 is a wire 302 having therein the normally open push button switch 298'.

The extending power line 268 and 268 has between them a normally open solenoid switch contacts 303 and there is, similarly, between the power line 269 and an extension power line thereof 269 a pair of normally open switch contacts 304.

The push button switches 298 and 298 are starting switches and the closing of either one will complete a circuit to the solenoid switch coil 299 and the energization of this solenoid switch coil 299 closes the solenoid switch contacts 303 and 304 for thereby connecting the power lines 268 and 269 with its extension power line 268' and 269'.

With the current now flowing through the auxiliary or extension power lines 268' and 269', near the bottom of the diagram is a wire 305 extending between the power lines 268' and 269 with said wire having therein a normally open, manually operable, switch 304 which energizes the solenoid coil 307 having under its control the normally open solenoid switch contacts 308, see FIG. 9, disposed between the main drive motor 67 and the initial power line switch and therefore the power control lines. From this it will be noted that the closing of the push button switch 306 initiates the rotation of the main motor 67 and maintains the same in operation.

At the time of the closing of the solenoid switches 303 and 304 current was established through a wire 309 between the auxiliary power lines 268 and 269' for energizing a solenoid switch coil 310 in said wire 309. The energization of the solenoid switch coil 310 closes normally open solenoid switch contacts 311, see FIG. 9, in the lines joining the discharge conveyor motor with the main current or circuit lines.

From the foregoing it will now be appreciated that the folded carton transporting means are in operation and that the hydraulic operating mechanism is likewise in operation as is the discharge mechanism, since the motors 67, 248 and 246 are in operation for eifecting the foregoing functions of the machine.

The operation of the machine from this point on is normally under the control of the limit switches in their relation to one another as illustrated in FIG. 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, there is below the line 289 a line 312 which has therein a pair of normally open solenoid switch contacts 313 and a normally open limit switch 314. The line or wire 312 extends from the feed line 268 to line 28 9 at a point between limit switch 291 and normally open solenoid contact switches 292 and the function of which will be subsequently made clear.

Again, below the line 312 there is extending from the line 268 a short line 315 having therein a pair of normally open solenoid switch contacts 316 and which line 315 is connected by a strap 317 to the lines 312 and 289; the strap 317 connecting with the line 312 at a point between the normally open limit switch 314 and the normally open solenoid switch contacts 313 and said strap 317 terminates in the line 289 at a point between the normally closed limit switches 290 and 291.

Below the line 295 there is a line 318 extending between the power supply lines 268 and 269, said line 318 having therein push button switches 319 and 319' with normally closed solenoid switch contacts 320 in the line between the said switches 319 and 319'. The line 318- has therein one of a group of signals 321 with the other signals of the group 321 being in parallel with the signal in the line 318 and the purpose of which signals 321 is believed clear as indicating the mechanisms operation.

As was noted above the mechanism of the present invention is for counting the number of folded cartons to be stacked so that each shipping and/ or storage container will contain the same amount. Obviously stacks of folded cartons of the same number will be substantially equal in height. In the event the stack being prepared is of insutficient height and the table reaches the point of operating the pusher mechanism, subsequently to be made clear, the normally open limit switch 322 is closed and which switch is in a wire or line 323 that extends from the counting mechanism, under control of the electric eye, see FIG. 1, and which line 323 has a connection with a line 324 extending between the control power lines 268 and 269. Said line 324 between the point of connection with the line 323 therewith and the power control line 269 has therein a time delay solenoid switch coil 325.

The energization of the time delay solenoid switch coil 325 after the said delay time period has elapsed closes the normally open switch contacts 313 in line 312 which extends between power line 268 and cross line 269. Since at this time the switch 314, likewise in the line 312, is

155 closed by the shipping and/ or storage container rack in its up position the circuit from the power line 268, normally open now closed switch 314, now closed normally open solenoid switch contacts 313, in the line 312 to and through line 289 including normally open now closed contacts 292 and time delay solenoid coil 293 to the power line 269. As noted above the solenoid coil 293 maintains the contacts 292 closed so as to maintain the said circuit.

It should be noted that the closing of said normally open contact switches 303 and 304 place in circuit power lines 268 and 269 for eventually energizing the various valves for the various hydraulic piston and cylinders, supra. It should also be noted that the combined switch 298 and 298 are what may be termed the machine starting switch, while the switch or switches 301 and 381' is or are the machine stopping switch.

Extending from the power line 269' is a wire 326 having therein valve solenoid 327, a normally open limit switch 328 and a second normally open limit switch 329 with said wire 326 terminating in a second wire 330 substantially parallel with the wire 326. Said wire 330 extends from the power line 269' to a point beyond the wire 326 and has in said extending portion normally open solenoid switch contacts 331 but which contacts are under the control of the time delay solenoid coil 325 and upon the elapse of the time delay are closed. Said wire 330 is connected with a further wire 332 which extends from the power line 269 to a point beyond the wire 330 and which extending portion of wire 332 has therein normally closed solenoid switch contacts 333. The said further wire 332, also, extends from power line 269' beyond the solenoid switch contacts 333 and terminates in a wire 334 and which wire 334 connects or extends between power lines 268 and 269 with said wire 334 having therein beyond the wire 332 a normally open limit switch 335.

The wire 332 in addition to the normally closed solenoid switch contacts 333 has therein normally open now closed solenoid switch contacts 336 associated with the main drive motor, and which contacts were closed when the motor solenoid was energized. The line 332 in addition has therein a valve solenoid coil 337 for actuating the table cylinder valve 338, see FIG. 13, as will subsequently be made clear. The energization of the valve solenoid coil 337 and shifting of the valve 338 causes the table to descend while having disposed thereon, in succession, the folded cartons or other items as they leave the counting mechanism to be packed. During descent of the said table the limit switch 335, while normally open, is closed by the pusher being in its retracted position and wherefor the table may ascend and descend. As the table reaches its lowermost limit the limit switch 335 is opened and the limit switch 329 is closed and since limit switch 328 is closed due to the case rack being in operative position the valve solenoid 327 is energized for thereby shifting hydraulic valve 339 to the position for effecting the pusher movement to push the stack of cartons or the like from the table into the storage or shipping container in position to receive the same.

The valve 338 as illustrated in the diagrammatic view in FIG. 13 as spring loaded for balance and wherefore the energization of the solenoid coil 337 spring loaded the said valve 338 and upon the opening of limit switch 335 the said coil 337 was deenergized and thereby permitted the said valve 338 to return to its normal position. This normal position is illustrated in FIG. 13 and thereby, as will subsequently be made clear, disconnect the fluid passing therethrough and the stopping of the table piston and cylinder in its descent.

Extending from power line 268 toward power line 269 is a wire 340 having therein normally opened now closed solenoid switch contacts 341, said contacts having been closed upon the energization of the time delay switch solenoid coil 325. Extending from the said line or wire 340 is a strap 342 from which extends a wire or line 343 to the power line 269'. Also extending from the lower end of the strap 342 is a second wire or line 344 that likewise terminates in the extension line 269. In the line 343 is a limit switch 345 and a solenoid switch coil 346 while in the line 344 is a pair of normally open solenoid switch contacts 347 and a valve solenoid coil 348.

Upon the pusher reaching the limit of its stroke for transferring the stacked articles from the table into the storage or shipping container the limit switch 345 is closed for thereby energizing switch solenoid coil 346. The cnergization of the solenoid switch coil 346 closes the normally open contacts 347 for thereby completing the circuit to energize the valve solenoid 348.

Upon the energization of the valve solenoid 348 the valve 339 is shifting to its second position for thereby energizing the piston and cylinder, supra, for retracting the pusher to its normal position.

Extending between the power lines 268' and .269 is a wire or line 349 having therein a push button switch 350 which was closed at the time of starting the machine and at the same time the said line 349 has therein normally closed limit switch 351 and a valve solenoid coil 352 and which solenoid is associated with the valve 338 for eifecting the movement of the table in reverse direction, supra, at this time, up.

Extending between the power lines 268' and 269 below the wire 349 is a wire or line 353 having therein a second part of the push button switch 350, and with said wire or line 353 having, additionally, therein limit switch 354 which is tied to the limit switch 351 so that when the limit switch 351 is closed the limit switch 354 is open. The line 353 in addition has therein a valve solenoid 355 for operating the valve 339 in the opposite direction and thereby operating the piston and cylinder mechanism to return the pusher to its normal position. Upon the pusher reaching its return or normal position the upward movement of the table is effected.

The mechanism to effect the upward movement of the table includes the switch 335 in wire or line 334 which also has therein normally open now closed solenoid switch contacts 356; the switch contacts 356 are now closed because the switch solenoid coil 346 which control the same is energized. Included in the wire or line 334 is a valve solenoid coil 357 which is associated with the valve 330 for causing the table to return to its upward position.

It should be noted, and as later will be made clear, at the time the pusher was pushing the stack from the table into the shipping and/or storage container the stack compressor was in operation to insure the top of the stack is below and thereby clearing the upper end wall 199 of the said storage and/or shipping container.

As soon as the table reaches the upper limit of its movement the limit switch 296 is closed to repeat the cycle of operation as above described.

As was noted above in the event that the stack of folded cartons on the table to be placed in the shipping and/or storage container, is not of the proper amount when the limit switch 322 was closed the pusher would not operate. The wire 324 in its portion beyond the wire 323 to the main line 268 has therein a normally open limit switch 358 and which switch 358 is closed when the starting switch 291 is opened. Strapped around the said switch 358 are wires or straps 359 and 360 in which are respectively push button switches 361 and 361' and which push button switches do the job of limit switch 358 when it is desired to reject the pile or stack of folded cartons or the like being placed on the table members 174.

In the cross wire 330 which extends from the extension power line 269 toward the power line 268 has therein a valve solenoid coil 362 associated with, what is termed, a quick index mechanism. The solenoid coil 362 is operable upon the closing of the normally open solenoid switch contacts 331 and which is controlled by the solenoid coil 325, supra.

As shown in the hydraulic diagram, FIG. 13, the tank 247 with the pump 250 mounted thereabove and from which outlet pipe 252 extends has connected therewith the pressure line 363 and having the pressure therein determined by the pressure regulator 253.

The said main pressure line 363 has extending therefrom a branch pressure line 364 that terminates in the table control valve 338. The valve 338 includes a movable member to the opposite ends of which is connected, respectively, the solenoid coils 337 and 357. Extending from or through the valve as is the usual practice are ports or the like with which is connected pipes or conduits as will presently be made clear.

As illustrated in the drawing the branch pressure line 364 connects with one of valve 338 ports while a second of said ports has connected therewith a branch discharge line or conduit 365 and which in turn terminates in the main discharge line 336 and the tank 247. As presently illustrated a further port of the valve 338 has connected therewith a line or conduit 367 which terminates in the, so called, quick index valve 366, while a still further port of the table control valve 338 has connected therewith a line or conduit 368 that terminates in the upper end of the table raising and lower piston and cylinder mechanism.

The lower end of said table actuating piston and cylinder mechanism has connected therewith one end of a line or conduit 369 which terminates in the quick index valve mechaninsm 366; said line having therein a check valve 370 thereby bringing into operation a second short line or conduit 371 that likewise terminates in the quick index valve 366.

The said line or conduit 369 from the lower end of the table operating piston and cylinder mechanism has extending therefrom, at a point before the check valve 370, a line or conduit 372 that terminates in the main control valve mechanism indicated in general by the reference numeral 373.

The control or feed valve mechanism illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 13 and, structurally, in FIG. 1 at the upper right hand corner thereof, includes a movable valve member which is operated to a closed position by spring means 374 acting on one end of the valve movable member. The other end of the said table rate control valve 373 movable member has projecting from its other end a pushing member or rod 375 which engages an arm 376 pivoted at 377 to a portion of the machine.

As shown structurally in FIG. 1 the valve 373 is mounted on a block or the like 378 upstanding from the longitudinal upper frame member 114 and with said valve having projecting from its left hand end the rod or the like 375. The movable arm or valve actuator 376 is pivoted at 379 to a projecting finger 380 extending from an upright member adjacent the valve 373.

It will be noted that the said control valve 373 has its arm 376 in the line of movement of the folded cartons or other members as they pass through the electric counting eye and are delivered to the stack table. It is the engagement of the said folded cartons or other flat articles that operates the said valve actuating arm 376 in order to open the valve mechanism 373 otherwise the said valve 373 remains closed and prevents a fiow therethrough.

In other words, unless there is a flow of movement of folded cartons or other flat articles to the table the said table will remain stationary since the valve 373 will not permit a flow from the cylinder and therefore the machine remains inoperative until there is again a supply of folded cartons or other fiat objects to and from the receiving belt 27.

The said rate control valve 373 has extending from another port of the valve 373 a line or conduit 381 which terminates in the main discharge conduit 366 and therefore to the tank 247.

As illustrated in FIG. 13 the main pressure line or conduit 363 terminates in a port of the pusher actuating valve 339. Said valve 339 has a second port from which extends the main discharge line or conduit 366 to the sump or tank 247.

The valve mechanism 339 has extending from a pair of additional ports, respectively, a line or conduit 382 and 383 which respectively terminate at opposite ends of the piston and cylinder mechanism which operates the pusher bar for pushing successive stacks of folded cartons or other fiat articles into the shipping and/or storage container.

As noted above the said shifting mechanism has a normal position behind the table and is operable only while the table is at the lower end of its movement and which is the relative positions of the ports as illustrated in FIG. 13.

Again, as noted above, use is made of a compressor which is hydraulically actuated to compress or push down on the upper surface of the said stack so that it will pass beneath the upper wall of the container. As illustrated in FIG. 13 said compressor piston and cylinder mechanism has connected, respectively, to opposite ends there of a line or conduit 384 and 385 which respectively terminate at their other ends in lines or conduits 382 and 383 and wherefore said compressor members are operable only during the forward movement of the pusher so that the said stack is readily insertable within the said carton.

As was noted above the shipping and/or storage container support and ejecting mechanism is in an upward position for holding the shipping and/or storage container in position to receive a stack of folded cartons or the like. The operation of the said shipping and/or storage container carrier and ejector is controlled by a valve 386 which includes a movable valve member 391 adapted to be positioned for connecting, when in one position, the branch pressure line or conduit 387 from the main pressure line or conduit 363 with one of or the other of lines or conduits 388 and 389 which extend from the said valve 386 and respectively terminate in the case rack actuating cylinder for actuating the piston 390 therein, respectively, in a downward and an upward direction.

Disposed in each of the lines or conduits extending between the several valves and their respective piston and cylinder ends is a flow controlling mechanism indicated in connection with table actuating piston and cylinder, for example, in its entirety by the reference numeral 391 is a flow and rate of flow mechanism comprising a one way check valve 392 and an adjustable flow orifice 393. It will be noted that the adjustable flow orifice controls the flow of the hydraulic medium from the cylinder to the storage tank while the one way flow valve 392 permits substantially unrestricted flow to the other end of the said cylinder.

It is believed obvious that the shifting of the movable valve member of the valve 386 to opposite ends of the valve cylinder effects the upward and lowering of the shipping and/or storage container supporting rack by pivoting same about the pivot bar 188.

It should be noted that the rack control valve 386 is a valve somewhat similar to that the table control valve 338 in that it is spring loaded to the extent that the movable member of each valve is normally yieldably retained in an inoperative position and said movable members of said valves is operated to their normal positions by spring means which are loaded upon moving of the said movable member by the solenoids operating the same. The pusher control valve 339 has two operative positions and which positions are effected by the solenoids and the movable member of which valve 339 is retained in either position until the operation of the opposite solenoid. Since, the pusher is normally in a retracted position the valve 339 may be said to be in its normal position as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 13. The quick index valve 336 has its movable member yieldably positioned at its normal position by a spring and which position is that as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 13, and upon its operation, supra, by its control solenoid is to load said spring and upon the deenergization of said control solenoid the movable member of the valve 366 is automatically yieldably returned to its position. The springs in each of these valves is indicated by the reference numeral 394.

Extending from the voltage reducing transformer and particularly the coil 267 thereof and from the opposite ends of which extends the control circuit power lines 268 and 269 with the said secondary coil 267 having a third line or wire 395 extending therefrom to a DC. current rectifier 396. The said center line 395 has therein normally open switch contacts 397 that are operated by the switch coil 306 upon the closing of the machine starting switch 296. The said line 395 has therein a fuse 39 8 to insure the operation of the direct current rectifier 396.

Extending from one side of the rectifier 396 is a wire 399 terminating in adjacent ends of the clutch coil 400 and brake coil 401. A further line 402 extends from the other side of the rectifier 396 to the other ends of the clutch coil 400 and brake coil 401. The line 402 has therein ahead of the clutch normally closed solenoid switch contacts 403 while the said line 402 has therein, also, ahead of the brake coil 401 a pair of normally open solenoid switch contacts 404. The said normally closed solenoid switch contacts 403 and normally open solenoid switch contacts 404 are under the control of a switch solenoid 325 and this switch solenoid when the machine is running is not energized wherefore the normally closed switch contacts 425 keep the clutch energized for driving the folded carton or other fiat articles moving belts through the machine as above set forth and operated by the main motor.

Upon however of the stopping of the machine and the opening of the switch 291 the normally open solenoid contacts 404 are closed and the normally closed solenoid switch contacts 403 are opened.

Briefly, from the foregoing, it will be noted that the mechanism or machine of the present invention receives folded cartons or other flat items that are to be counted, stacked and inserted into a shipping, transporting or storage container, generally a corrugated cardboard container, as the said items are delivered from a previous mechanism or machine that prints them, drys them out, or folds and glues or seals them. This cycle of operation consists in passing the said items through a counting mechanism, specifically, a photo-electric cell, receiving and stack the articles as they are received until a desired stack is obtained, whereupon the stack is automatically transferred into a container previously arranged to receive the same and which container upon receiving the stack is automatically discharged from the machine and whereupon the stacking mechanism is re-activated to accept a second stack.

What is claimed is:

1. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a set up shipping and/or storage container, the combination of a supporting frame, means on said frame receiving said flat articles and positioning said articles with respect to one another and moving same toward a counting section, a flat article counting section including means for counting said flat articles as they are individually and continuously moved through said counting section, a transporting and stacking section receiving said articles after they have passed the couting section and including means moving said articles in a stack until a given number of said articles is reached, a set up shipping and/or storage container laterally of the counted 2.0 stack of said fiat articles, and means operable after said given number of said articles have been counted and stacked as they passed through said counting section for removing said stack of flat articles from the said transporting and stacking section into the said set up shipping and/or storage container.

2. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said receiving and positioning section including side members, and positioning means between said side members for positioning the flat articles received thereby to move said articles one at a time from the said receiving and positioning section through said fiat articles transporting section.

3. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said receiving and positioning section including side members, positioning means between said side members for positioning the fiat articles received thereby to move said articles one at a time from the said receiving and positioning section through said flat article transporting section, and means carried by the machine frame and receiving and positioning section side members for adjusting said side members toward and from one another to accommodate different width of flat members.

4. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/ or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said flat article counting section including means counting each article as it enters thereinto, means removing said article after counting from said counting section into the stacking section, and side members carried by said supporting frame, respectively, one on each side of the counting section between which the flat article is moved to the stacking section.

5. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/ or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said flat article counting section including means counting each article as it enters thereinto, means removing said article after counting from said counting section into the stacking section, side members carried by said supporting frame, respectively, one on each side of the counting section between which the fiat article is moved to the stacking section, and means carried by said supporting frame and counting section side members for adjusting said side members toward and from one another to accommodate different widths of flat articles.

6. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/ or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said receiving and positioning section including side members, positioning means between said side members for positioning the flat articles received thereby to move said articles one at a time from the said receiving and positioning section through said flat article transporting section, said flat article counting section including means counting each article as it enters thereinto, means removing said article after counting from said counting section into the stacking section, and side members carried by said supporting frame, respectively,

one on each side of the counting section between which the fiat article is moved to the stacking section.

7. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said receiving and positioning section including side members, positioning means between said side members for positioning the flat articles received thereby to move said articles one at a time from the said receiving and positioning section through said 21 flat article transporting section, means carried by the machine frame and receiving and positioning section side members for adjusting said side members toward and from one another to accommodate different widths of flat members, said flat article counting section including means counting each article as it enters thereinto, means removing said article after counting from said counting section into the stacking section, and side members carried by said supporting frame defining the path of movernent through the counting section and between which side members the flat article is moved to the stacking section, and means carried by said supporting frame and counting section side members for adjusting said side members toward and from one another to accommodate different widths of flat articles.

8. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/ or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the flat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the moving table vertically of the frame, and means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members.

9. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/ or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the fiat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the moving table vertically of the frame, means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members, and means carried by the supporting frame and table flanking side members for moving said flanking vertical side members toward and from one another depending upon the width of the flat articles.

10. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the flat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the moving table vertically of the frame, means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members, means carried by the supporting frame and table flanking side members for moving said flanking vertical side members toward and from one another depending upon the width of the flat articles, and means between the supporting frame and vertical forwardly positioning means for mounting same for adjustment toward and from the side members to accommodate different lengths of flat articles to be inserted into the shipping and/or storage container.

11. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said receiving and positioning section including side members, positioning means be tween said side members for positioning the flat articles received thereby to move said articles one at a time from the said receiving and positioning section through said flat article transporting section, said flat articles counting section including means counting each article as it enters thereinto, means removing said article after counting from said counting section into the stacking section, side members carried by said supporting frame, respectively, one on each side of the counting section between which the flat article is moved to the stacking section, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the flat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the moving table vertically of the frame, and means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members.

12. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said receiving and positioning section including side members, positioning means between said side members for positioning the flat articles received thereby to move said articles one at a time from the said receiving and positioning section through said flat article transporting section and means carried by the machine frame and receiving and positioning section side members for adjusting said side members toward and from one another to accommodate different widths of flat members, said flat article counting section including means counting each article as it enters thereinto, means removing said article after counting from said counting section into the stacking section, side members carried by said supporting frame defining the path of movement through the counting section and between which side members the flat article is moved to the stacking section, means car ried by said supporting frame and counting section side members for adjusting said side members toward and from one another to accommodate different widths of flat articles, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the flat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the movable table vertically of the frame, and means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members.

13. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the flat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the moving table vertically of the frame, means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members, said set-up shipping and/or storage container including a bottom and upstanding side and end walls, said shipping and/ or storage container when in position laterally of the counted stack of flat articles being supported on one of its side or end walls at a point at the lower point of movement of the movable table and in line with the lowest article of the counted stack, means carried by the machine supporting frame for supporting the shipping and/or storage container in said position, and said counted stack of flat articles removing means in the form of a pusher operable across the stack supporting table for pushing the counted stack into the shipping and/or storage container.

14. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the flat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the moving table vertically of the frame, means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members, said set-up shipping and/or storage container including a bottom and upstanding side and end walls, said shipping and/or storage container when in position laterally of the counted stack of flat articles being supported on one of its side or end walls at a point at the lower point of movement of the movable table and in line with the lowest article of the counted stack, means carried by the machine supporting frame for supporting the shipping and/or storage container in said position, and said counted stack of flat articles removing means being in the form of a pusher operable across the stack supporting table for pushing the counted stack into the shipping and/or storage container, said means supporting the shipping and/or storage container being mova-bly mounted on the supporting frame for removing the container and its stack of flat articles after disposition of the stacked articles into the said shipping and/or storage container.

15. In a packing machine for packing a given number of equally sized flat articles through a cycle of operation into a shipping and/or storage container as set forth in claim 1 characterized by, said stacking section including a vertically movable table receiving the flat articles from the counting section, said table moving downwardly, incrementally, as the flat articles are successively deposited one on the other from the counting mechanism, said table moving between side members carried by the supporting frame flanking the moving table vertically of the frame, means vertically, forwardly, of the supporting frame positioning the flat articles on the table and between the vertical members, said set-up shipping and/or storage container including a bottom and upstanding side and end walls, said shipping and/or storage container when in position laterally of the counted stack of fiat articles being supported on one of its side or end walls at a point at the lower point of movement of the movable table and in line with the lowest article of the counted stack, means carried by the machine supporting frame for supporting the shipping and/or storage container in said position, and said counted stack of flat articles removing means being in the form of a pusher operable across the stack supporting table for pushing the counted stack into the shipping and/or storage container, said means supporting the shipping and/or storage container being movably mounted on the supporting frame for removing the container and its stack of fiat articles after disposition of the stacked articles into the said shipping and/ or storage container, and means carried by the supporting frame for compressing the stack of counted flat articles against their supporting table during the pushing of the said stack across its supporting table.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1963 Lloyd et al 53-78 4/1968 Loach et al. 93-93 X TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner 

